


Age Matters

by MochiMinWriting



Category: Batman - Fandom, DC Universe, DCU, Damian Wayne - Fandom, Robin - Fandom
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-09-02 09:57:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16784662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MochiMinWriting/pseuds/MochiMinWriting
Summary: Damian falls in love with an older woman.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: Talks about age when it comes to relationships. Not at all inappropriate. 
> 
> Repost from my Tumblr @becausewerebatfam

For years you have been Damian’s crime-fighting partner. The two of you started off a couple of strong-headed kids as Batgirl and Robin. There was plenty of arguing and fighting because of the age difference. You were a few years older than Damian meaning you were put in charge most of the time and he couldn’t stand taking orders from you. He had actually told himself he hated you but the reality was far from it.

Damian looked up from the sketchbook in his hands at the sound of a soft knock on the door. “What is it Grayson-” He immediately closed the sketchbook he had been intensely focused on when he looked up to see Dick wasn’t the one who had entered his room. His startled expression changed slightly when he took in the sight you in the Batwoman suit. It was more than his teenage lovesick heart could handle. “What are you doing here?” 

A smile graced your lips reaching your eyes. “Looking for you of course.” Without hesitation you walked in, closing the door behind you. “Sorry I hope I didn’t interrupt you.” He looked startled by your presence which was totally understandable considering you technically had no business being at the tower anymore.

Damian shook his head, on the contrary, he was glad to see you. “It was just some recreational reading.” As he grew older Damian thought about you a lot more than he cared to admit. 

Your brow arched taking a second look at the book he had just closed. “You read from your sketchbook?” His eyes narrowed in response making you retract with a soft giggle. “Sorry, none of my business, I know.” Damian valued his privacy which you respected for the most part. Sometimes you just couldn’t help snooping into his life. The boy was a mystery waiting to be solved. You missed him so much that you didn’t care if you got yelled at. 

Damian stumbled back when you crashed into him. He had grown over the years but you were still taller than him making his head rest on your chest when you wrapped your arms tightly around his neck. The warmth that radiated off of you was intoxicating.

“I missed my crime-fighting partner. Do you know how peaceful my patrols have been lately?” You began rambling on and on about all the thoughts you have been keeping to yourself. These were things you would usually talk about with him when you were out on patrol. “I have no one to argue with. They changed the formula for my favorite mascara… I fed Bat-cow the other day… Bruce yelled at me for getting hurt… I was so excited when Bruce said you were going to be taking over as Batman on your twentieth birthday… We can be partners again!”

When you turned twenty you graduated from Batgirl to Batwoman leaving the Titans behind. It was a huge change for both of you. Before you were always together, you were always there by his side, you were his first crush. He started to miss you now that you were off on your own as Batwoman while he stayed with the Titans. Damian refused the very idea that he could ever fall in love yet he did nothing to stop the physical contact you had initiated.

The last time you hugged him like this was years ago. At that time he threatened to kill you if you ever dared to do so again.

His silence worried you. Was he so mad that he had gone completely silent? Was this the calm before the storm? You apologized as you backed off, “Sorry, I just really missed you.”

“Tt,” Damian turned his back to you. He spent seven years fighting, pushing you away pretending to be annoyed by your presence alone. Now he had no idea how to respond to the ache in his chest, the fluttering in his stomach, the restlessness. “I missed you too.” 

His words came out as a whisper, nonetheless, you heard it loud and clear. “What? Did you just say you missed me?” Your cheeks were hurting from how big your smile had grown. 

When he thought about it he realized his mother was right. Emotions really made people weak. He was no longer able to put up a fight against you. He had fallen in love with someone who only saw him as a little brother. 

Just then Dick entered the room, the sight was strange, to say the least. You were smiling from ear to ear while Damian scowled. “The emotional range in this room is alarming.”

* * *

“Damian you have to calm down.” Jon followed Damian to Gotham where they headed straight for Wayne Manor. 

For months you had been fighting off Owlman who wanted you as his new partner. When you refused he tried various methods to force you. When none of them worked he decided the next best thing was to get rid of you. He was almost successful.

“Why did no one tell me!”

Damian’s entrance immediately got the attention of the two people in the cave. 

Jon quickly apologized for the intrusion before trying to hold back Damian. It was all very useless because when it came to you he knew there was nothing he could do. Jon was probably the only person who knew Damian had feelings for you. He had seen it in his friend’s actions even before Damian realized it himself. When you were a Titan he noticed the way Damian’s heart skipped a beat at your appearance. 

“The court of owls was never targeting the general population or the Titans,” Bruce stated in a very matter of fact way. It was just another way of saying, this was none of his business. 

Of course, it only added the fire that was Damian Wayne. “Owlman was trying to get Y/N to join him, she’s MY partner!” He hated to be left out of everything just because his father thought it didn’t concern him. “If anyone should have helped her it’s me.”

It was starting to look like a fight would breakout making Jon put his hand on Damian’s shoulder. 

“Relax Damian,” Dick got between father and son trying to de-escalate the situation. “It wasn’t Bruce who decided to keep you in the dark….it was Y/N.”

His expression softened, you had asked to keep him out of it. You were in trouble and didn’t reach out to him for help. Instead, you went to his father, or maybe Dick.

Jon didn’t know what to do, he preferred angry Damian over this one. “Where is she?” he asked thinking this was probably a good time for his friend to see you.

Dick took them up to the room where you were resting. Coincidentally it happens to be Jason’s room vexing him further. You were laying in bed, peacefully, hooked to an IV drip. “Is she unconscious?”

“No, she’s just resting after Jason insisted Bruce put her through like a hundred tests to check for a concussion and internal bleeding. Even before that she was awake for thirty-nine hours.”

Jon had heard all about the Batfamily sleep schedules but that was just insane. It did explain why you had gotten hurt, no way you were in top condition when you fought of Owlman.

Damian pushed past Dick to get a closer look at you. His chest tightened at the sight of a purplish-blue bruise that poked out of the bandages wrapped around your head. His eyes moved towards your arm that rested in a cast. Your hands a testament to how hard you fought back.

He couldn’t help himself, he reached out to hold your hand effectively alerting Dick. He didn’t want to hurt you so he opted to just brush his fingers against yours. “Why did she not want me to be informed?”

Watching his younger brother’s movements he concluded, “Damian are you two…?” He couldn’t bring himself to say it. There had been some suspicion. Damian had made a clear effort to seek you out even after you had gone solo. On off days he would hear about you two going to museums, he knew you both liked history and thought it was a shared interest that brought you closer together as a team but perhaps it was more.

Annoyed, Damian sighed. “No…” the two of you were nothing but friends if even that. You had distanced yourself ever since that day. “I was rejected.” After gathering the courage to profess his feelings to you Damian was ultimately dismissed. 

_“What-” you let go of Damian’s hands that you had previously been holding onto. It was all sweet and innocent affection until now. Hearing his confession made you painfully aware that you two were alone in his room. For the first time ever you felt like it was wrong to be there. Not only that but you were sitting on his bed._

_“I’ll say it again if you don’t believe me.”  
_

_“No, don’t!” You stopped him, it wasn’t that you didn’t believe him. The problem was that you did believe him. Damian was honestly confessing his feelings to you but all you could think about was the age difference. Sure if he were thirty and you thirty-three it didn’t sound so bad but he was seventeen and you were twenty. “Dami, you’re just a teenager-”_

_“As were you only eight months ago.”  
_

_Silence overcame you not knowing what to respond. It was funny how something like age never seemed to matter once both parties were adults but in the transition between teen and adult, it was a complex situation. “Sorry, Dami… maybe if you were older but not as we are…” Suddenly you found yourself really looking at Damian._

_He wasn’t the little boy you once knew, he was shaping up to be a great man. His morals were becoming clearer every day, his resolve to help others was stronger, and despite what others thought he wasn’t emotionally stunted. Being around him for so long made it easy for you to see how kind, thoughtful, and generous he really was. He still hated recognizing that he had emotions and couldn’t take a compliment either._

_You shook your head knowing very well that you didn’t even have to ask yourself if you loved Damian. As a person, he was great despite his flaws but he was your partner, he was a kid you grew up with, and a great friend._

_Damian was crushed but hopeful. Not once did you ever say you didn’t love him. If age was all that mattered to you then he would wait. “If I were Grayson or Todd’s age…” he paused before mentioning Tim even though he was the closest in age to you he didn’t want to compare himself to Drake. “Would you consider my feelings genuine?”_

_You nodded._

Dick gasped loudly, his little brother was growing up and he didn’t even see it coming. “I thought you were emotionally stunted by your mother and let’s face it Bruce isn’t any better in the feelings department. This is so unexpected!”

Jon and Damian both shushed him reminding him of your fatigued state. “Maybe we should go outside,” Jon suggested pulling Dick out of the room. He wanted to give his friend a moment alone to give that lump in his throat a chance to come out.

As soon as the door closed Damian sighed. Letting his guard down allowed him to focus on you. His eyes caught sight of the small lines that went across your bottom lip. It looked like a dotted line in a contrasting red color from that of your lips, they were the marks of your teeth. You always had a habit of biting your lower lip, no matter the pain, to keep others from knowing how much you hurt. This time you managed to permanently cast your teeth in the plush of your lips. 

How he wished to be older, to be able to show you how much he loved you… With no one around he said it once more. “I love you,” and leaned down bringing his lips to yours in a chaste kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Talks about age when it comes to relationships. Not at all inappropriate. Maybe some suggestive content.

“Father, what are your thoughts on courting an older woman?”

Bruce turned away from the Batcomputer almost instantly. Damian always seemed emotionally closed off, he had worried he would never care for anyone but himself. The question thankfully brought some peace of mind. “Age does not matter as long as both of you are responsible adults.” Of course, he also began thinking, calculating if you will, who could have caught Damian’s eye. To his very accurate knowledge, his son had never been in a relationship.

Damian nodded acknowledging his father’s response. He was nineteen now, only months away from his twentieth birthday. He was able to do just about anything with the exception of consuming alcohol but he had no desire to drink it anyway.

It wasn’t too surprising to hear he was interested in someone older. Having been raised like an adult by Talia made him mature for his age. Bruce figured the woman had to match Damian’s mental age, with a tough personality that could handle Damian’s. A name came to mind, “Are you seeing someone?”

“Not yet, soon.”

If he was right Bruce knew he had to give his son a warning. “It can be difficult to mix work and romance.”

Damian wasn’t the least bit worried about that or the fact that his father seemed to know it was you he was referring to. 

After your incident with Owlman Damian went back to his usual self around you. He didn’t want you to push him away or distance yourself further. He wanted to be there for you when you needed help. Even if it hurt, he assured you his feelings had gone away. It all seemed to work because soon you were back to your usual self. You visited the tower again, confided in him, and once again he was the first person you called when you needed help.

Feigning to forget you was much harder. Especially when he had to see you with Roy. Yeah, you dated Roy Harper and he blamed Jason for it. Even if you two didn’t last long the jealousy he felt was overwhelming. If he was able to handle that he knew he could handle this. “I can handle it.” 

* * *

The manor was quiet allowing Damian to hear the light footsteps that quickly approached his bedroom door. He opened it just in time for you to bump into him. Your face hit his chest reminding you that you had one less thing you could tease him about. He was now taller than you and made of bricks apparently because the impact was strong enough to send you falling onto your ass. “God, Damian!” You pinched the bridge of your nose hoping no blood would come from it. “Are you trying to become a wall?” you laughed seeing his disdain. 

“I was going to apologize but you can forget it now.”

“You? Apologize?” you asked incredulously. Your right hand extended out towards him, “a little help?”

Damian rolled his eyes but helped you up nonetheless. “Why are you sneaking up here?”

“I wasn’t sneaking.” You were but you weren’t going to admit it now that you had failed. “I was just looking for you.” You walked in taking a look around his room noting all the new paintings he had brought back from the tower. “I heard you finally came back and left Jon in charge of the Titans.”

His lips curved up slightly seeing you walk into his room unlike at the tower where you would awkwardly stand at the door.

“I also heard you broke some hearts this last year.” Jon had told you everything about Raven’s crush on Damian and how oblivious he was to it. What surprised you most was his anticlimactic response to the kiss she had given him right before he left. Although Jon didn’t disclose his words to you he said Damian had other things on his mind. Whatever it was you were relieved Damian had experienced teenage love. 

“Tt,” Damian cursed Jon’s big mouth. “That kid-” 

Although you hated to admit it, a part of you was also jealous. He had really gotten over you but all you had been doing was thinking of him. You tried your best to forget what Damian said, even going as far as dating Roy, but it stuck with you. “W-why did you reject her?”

Your stutter didn’t go unnoticed. Damian began to examine your expression but you turned your back to him wanting to hide the fact that you were biting your lower lip. He smirked suddenly feeling very in control, “Why are you so interested?” 

“I’m not!” you huffed. Trying to compose yourself from the outburst was hard. Your heart was racing and you knew why…you couldn’t deny it. This had solidified your assumption, you loved Damian. “I just…” you trailed off unsure of what to say.

While your heart raced your cheeks began to change color. Damian eyed you remembering his own actions when you would speak of Roy. “Just what?” He began to hope you were jealous as well. 

You couldn’t handle being alone with him any longer. “Sorry, I know it’s none of my business.” You smiled your usual smile trying to put the awkwardness behind you. This was a special day for Damian. Not only did he come back to the manor with the intention of taking over as Batman but he was also reaching a new milestone. You didn’t want to ruin it with your unwanted emotions. “Can you come with me?” You pulled him by the arm knowing everyone was waiting for you to bring him down. 

“Where?”

* * *

Upon entering the Batcave Damian was attacked by colorful confetti. “What the-” Damian growled at Tim who had thrown the colorful pieces of paper a little too enthusiastically at his face.

“Happy Birthday!” 

Tim laughed feeling a lot better about having to wait so long for you to get him. “You’re right Jason, that was fun.” 

Dick charged at Damian hugging him tightly. “My Dami’s all grown up!” He felt more like a father than a brother at that moment. His little sparing partner who fought for the cowl was finally going to wear it.

Damian had lost count of how many times he had said that over the years. “Grayson get off of me!” He struggled to push the older male away as another arm was wrapped around his shoulders. “Welcome to adulthood kid, let’s go get you a drink.” 

“He has to be twenty-one Jason!”

“I know a place that-”

Bruce cleared his throat making everyone turn and note his entrance. “There will be no underage drinking.” He was accompanied by Alfred and Steph who was carrying a birthday cake with Damian’s name on it.

“Sorry I’m late-” Jon flew in at full speed in a fit of laughter when he saw the group hug situation going on with Damian. “Can I join too?” he asked even though his arms were already open.

“What are you doing here Kent?” Now Damian really was stuck in place. “Don’t you have work to do?” Even though he was scowling Jon knew Damian appreciated when people remembered his birthday. “Aww, I love you too buddy.” It had only been a week since Damian moved out of the Tower but Jon already missed him.

Both you and Steph couldn’t resist taking a picture of the moment. “Bruce, Alfred…” you guided the two of them closer to the action. No one could forget about the two most important men of Wayne Manor.

“Tim get in there!” Steph pushed him towards the group but Tim didn’t hug him. There was no more Damian to go around and he was fine with it. He simply stretched his hand out to poke his bicep. “Happy?”

“Very!”

Damian sighed as the picture was taken. Here he was thinking everyone would finally start treating him like an adult instead he’s being coddled more than ever. Once everyone finally let go he went straight to you. “You are to blame for this.”

You giggled, “guilty as charged.” The bright smile a result of having pulled off the surprise. “I know your birthday isn’t until tomorrow but this was the only way to surprise you.” It was always your wish to get the drop on him. “I know how much you hate surprises.”

Damian silently scowled not wanting to admit defeat.

“Can we go now?” Jason asked and immediately Tim, Dick, and Jon got into one of Bruce’s luxury vehicles. The driver’s seat was left empty for Damian knowing how much he loved to drive. “Hope he doesn’t kill us before our own birthdays,” Tim commented securing his seatbelt.

“Come on kid while the night is young.” Jason opted to drive his bike, luxury cars were too small to accommodate his stature. 

Damian looked to you for an answer. 

“Tonight the city is being looked after by Gotham’s finest female vigilantes while the young master Wayne celebrates his twentieth birthday Jason Todd style.” Your response sounded scripted because it was. Jason only agreed to sit through the surprise part if you said those words exactly. “Whatever that means.”

“What?” His eyes narrowed in a way that told you he was not very fond of the surprise and was about ready to kill you. 

“Don’t worry Jon’s a minor so it can’t be too bad.” When Jason revved his bike you sensed how excited he was for tonight. Genuine worry settled in. Even though you explained numerous times that Damian turned twenty not twenty-one it was possible he would break some laws.

Damian immediately caught the doubt in your eyes. “Even you don’t believe that.” Your shaky sigh confirmed it. Both of you knew Jason had a way around everything.

“Please take care of Jon for me.” In your eyes, Jon was like a sweet, innocent, little brother who needed protecting from the world or in this case Jason Todd.

Damian thought about the situation at hand, "On one condition.”

“What condition?”

Damian leaned in closely to whisper in your ear, “Don’t go home tonight.”

Chills ran up and down your spine when you felt his lips ghost over the shell of your ear. His voice was huskier and lower than usual making it sound like there was a hidden meaning to his words. You quickly dismissed it until you felt his lips press against your temporomandibular joint. “Wha-” you pulled back, wide-eyed, to see him smirking.

He had felt your uneasy heartbeat at that moment when his lips came into contact with your skin. There was so much he wanted to say and do but for now, that was enough to get him through whatever Jason had planned. “You owe me that,” he left not letting you protest further. If you had anything to say to him then you would have to wait for him to get back.

Frozen, you stood. The person walking away from you wasn’t your Dami it was Damian Wayne. 

Steph and Alfred were long gone, putting away the intact cake knowing Jason will be back for his half for sure. The guys were all so excited, they didn’t see or hear you two. Only Bruce noticed but thought nothing of it already knowing it was you who Damian spoke about all those months ago.

* * *

When Damian got back he found you waiting for him in his room. You had been pacing back and forth, arms crossed, waiting for him. Seeing you in your civilian clothes was a nice change from earlier. Now you both had no mask to hide under.

“Can you explain what I owe you exactly?” You were mad, there was no real reason for you to be so but it was the only way you could hide how flustered you were by the situation earlier. The last thing you wanted was to show weakness to Damian.

Damian easily read through your facade. His heart was racing knowing that the only way he could get through to you was to break you, to break through your false sense of seniority and make you say what you really felt. “I rejected Raven because I already have someone I love.”

Your arms fell down to your sides. This was exactly what you were afraid of. How could he so easily confess his feelings to you? He was never the type to show his emotions or speak his mind. “Damian you don’t love-” you were cut off by his lips. 

Damian held either side of your face in his hands, holding you in place, not letting you pull away from the kiss. He couldn’t stand hearing you question his own emotions. He may not know much about emotions in general but he knew his own. Every time he saw you… this was all he wanted to do.

Your eyes closed involuntarily and before you knew it your lips were moving along with his. It felt right, the softness of your lips against his rougher ones. The longer you kissed the softer his lips became. No one had pulled away and you were becoming lightheaded. Your hands rested on his hips before wrapping themselves around his torso for support.

He slowly pulled away leaving you breathless. Training had come in handy, he was able to hold his breath for long periods of time thanks to all the underwater exercises. “Don’t tell me how I feel or I’ll have to show you.”

“Dami, I’m in my twenties-”

“As am I beloved,” he quickly responded having waited three years to call you that. He was no longer a teenager like you previously stated. “Your argument is no longer valid.”

Your heart skipped a beat as all the blood rushed to the apples of your cheeks. How could he be so sweet? The boy who once called you an old hag. (When he was twelve.) 

He inched closer resting his forehead against yours. “If you want me to stop loving you-you’ll have to say it.”

“Say what?”

“Say you don’t love me.” You bit your lip a tell-tale sign you were in conflict and a reminder to Damian of the day he stole a kiss from you. “You can’t, can you?”

You shook your head. “I love you Damian.”

“I know,” he smirked before kissing you again and solidifying the fact that you were now his and he was yours.


End file.
